A corpora



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK BECKET, 0F NIAGARA FALLS NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELECTRO METALLURGICAL COMPANY, OF NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK, A CORPORA- TION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

Patented Nov. 18, 1919.

ALLOY.

1 322 158 Specification of Letters Patent.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK M. BEOKET, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Alloys, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises a novel alloy, useful for various purposes, but more particularly in connection with the deoxidation and purification of steel or iron, and the production of alloy-steels. The alloy contains as its essential components magnesium and silicon, and preferably manganese. Other metals, including iron, may alsobe present. In the preferred composition of the alloy the magnesium is present in excess of the molecular proportion to the silicon. The invention comprises also the process involved in the treatment of molten iron and steel with such alloys.

It is Well known that magnesium is a most efficient deoxidizing agent for steel, but its reactivity'is such as to. render its introduction in the pure or un-alloyed state into molten steel a matter of extreme difficulty. Moreover the melting point of the resulting slag is so high as to render its elimination diflicult. Silicon in material proportions not only moderates the violence of the magnesium-oxidization reaction, but when the silicon is properly proportioned to the magnesium its oxidation product unites with that of magnesium to yield a relatively fusible and hence much more easily eliminated slag. It is believed that sil1 con, used in conjunction with sufficient proportions of magnesium, tends also to a better elimination of the sulfur, due to the fact that the oxidation of magnesium raises the temperature of the melt to a point at which the known desulfurizing action of silicon becomes eflicient.

Alloys containing 50-90 per cent. of magnesium; 10-40 per cent. of silicon; and up to 10 per centi' of iron, are eminently adapted for the treatment of steel, In such alloys the proportion of magneslmn, rela- Application filed June 7, 1918. Serial No. 238,726.

tive' to the silicon, is higher than Corresponds to the so-called silicid of magneslum, MgSi; that is to say, the magnesium 1s in excess of the equimolecular proportion of the silicon. This is true irrespective of whether other metals, including iron and manganese, enter into the constitution of the alloys.

I have found that such alloys, in contradu'ce any desired quantity of this metal into the alloy steel. A typical alloy of this type may comprise, together with other components if desired:

Magnesium 5070% Silicon 10-20% Manganese 10-20% Iron up to 10% The iron is not regarded as an essential component of either alloy, but its presence is more or less incidental to the employment of ahigh grade ferrosilicon as a convenient means of introducing the required amount of silicon into the alloy. the manganese may be supplied as ferromanganese, with the resulting introduction of further quantities of iron into the alloy.

I claim 1. An alloy containing as essential components magnesium, silicon and manganese, the magnesium in excess of the equimolecular roportion to the silicon.

2. n alloy containing approximately magnesium 50-90 per cent; silicon 10-20 per cent; manganese 1020 per cent. and iron lllp to 10 per cent.

3. recess of treating molten steel or iron for the purification thereof or the produc- In like manner tion of alloy. steels. which consists in introducing thereinto an alloy containing magnesium and silicon, the magnesium in excess of the equimolecular proportion to the 5 silicon.

4:. Process of treating molten steel or iron for the purification thereof or the production of alloy steels, which consists in introducing thereinto an alloy containing magnesium, silicon and manganese, the mag- 10 nesium in-excess of the equimoleoular proportion to the silicon. In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

FREDERICK M. BECKET 

